Merial Animal Health is inviting practitioners to submit original clinical pain management cases for The Previcox & Equioxx European Clinical Case Award for Excellence.
Set up last year, the award recognises excellence in pain management in companion animals and horses. Submitted cases will be evaluated for successful management of pain associated with osteoarthritis, surgery or other conditions in companion animals and horses using firocoxib.
Two winners will be selected and each awarded €1,000 and an invitation to present their clinical case during Merial's next European Pain Management Symposium in 2012, with all travel and accommodation expenses paid.
Open to all veterinary practitioners, the deadline for submission is December 1st 2011. For an application form please email agate.vanopstal@merial.com
606 veterinary professionals took part in the research, mostly Practice Managers (34%), Head Nurses (23%) Head Vets (22%) and Administrators (9%)
Of all the respondents, which included those newly-promoted, early career, middle management, senior management and principal leaders, 33% of respondents described their competence as ‘intermediate’, 47% as intermediate, 18% as 'advanced' and only 2% as ‘expert’.
The VMG says its report raises fresh concerns about the preparedness of those tasked with steering veterinary teams through an increasingly complex and demanding landscape.
Rebecca Robinson MRCVS (pictured), incoming VMG President, said: “This year’s report again highlights the urgent need to equip both current and future leaders with the skills and support they need to thrive.
"While there are encouraging signs of progress, we must act with greater urgency as a profession to embed leadership development at every level - especially for those stepping into leadership roles for the first time."
“We encourage all members of the veterinary team to invest in developing their communication and influencing skills well before they take on leadership roles.
"Gaining experience in these areas early on will better prepare them for the demands of leadership and empower them to take charge of their career journeys.
“We also call on employers to make leadership development a priority."
The VMG offers a range of Institute of Leadership and Management-accredited qualifications – the Award, Certificate and Diploma in Veterinary Leadership and Management.
https://vetmg.com/qualifications/cvlm/
The findings of a Canine Vector Borne Disease (CVBD) prevention field study, published in Veterinary Parasitology today, have demonstrated the efficacy of Advantix in repelling ticks and sandflies, thus reducing the risk of potentially deadly diseases.
The study, conducted over two years by a team headed by Professor Domenico Otranto of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (Universitá degli Studi di Bari) Italy, with diagnostic support from a team led by Dr. Edward Breitschwerdt at the North Carolina State University, USA, found that dogs treated regularly with Advantix spot-on had a greater than 90% reduction in CVBD cases, including a 100% reduction in new cases of potentially deadly leishmaniosis and a 94.6% decrease in ehrlichiosis.
The study also found that Advantix provided 97.9% protection against tick infestation, compared to untreated dogs, where 100% were infested at the peak of the season. The level of protection offered by Advantix was apparently all the more notable because of particularly large numbers of ticks and sand flies and high prevalence of associated diseases like leishmaniosis or babesiosis in the area of the study.
Prof. Otranto said: "Our study shows the importance of protecting dogs with an effective treatment that repels as well as kills parasites like ticks and sand flies. Despite the high challenge faced by the dogs in our study, nearly all our treated dogs remained free from ticks throughout most of the study, and more than 90% remained free from CVBDs for the whole study time.
"Because we included naïve sentinel beagles in the study, we were also able to model what would happen to dogs travelling to areas where CVBDs are present. We found that by the end of the study, only the Advantix-treated beagles remained protected from infection, while 80% of the untreated beagles were infected with a CVBD. This demonstrates the very real need to protect dogs that are travelling to endemic areas."
According to Bayer, the study showed some interesting results with dogs that were positive with CVBDs when they entered the study. Of these, half of those treated with Advantix were negative for CVBDs at the end of treatment, compared with only 13% of untreated dogs. This suggests the potential for natural clearance of CVBDs if a repellent treatment is used to prevent new transmissions.
Bayer says the study was extremely comprehensive, studying both indigenous and introduced naïve puppies, monitoring for several CVBDs and working with Dr. Breitschwerdt's team in the USA to use highly sensitive molecular testing techniques to ensure optimal diagnostic accuracy. Dr. Breitschwerdt said: "This is the most comprehensive study, to my knowledge, ever conducted testing the efficacy of a repellent ectoparasiticide to prevent the transmission of a spectrum of CVBDs in young dogs."
Leading parasitologist Dr. Luis Cardoso of the University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Portugal said: "Thanks to this study we can see just how effective a treatment that repels as well as kills can be."
VetSurgeon Editor Arlo Guthrie said: “The original setup, which reorders a list of available positions by distance from a location, works very well when you know where you want to work.
"The new VetSurgeon Jobs Map, on the other hand, is ideal for when you’re not sure where exactly you want to work, and just want to know what’s out there.
"We’ve also added a 'World Jobs Map' so that there’s a quick and easy way to see any jobs outside the UK, such as those currently advertised in Bahrain, South Africa and Ireland."
The VetSurgeon Jobs Map is the latest in a string of new features added since a small charge was introduced for advertising jobs in May, including Find our jobs on VetSurgeon, Share & Reward and the VetSurgeon Locums Map. The same features have also been added over on VetNurse Jobs, too.
Arlo said: "Now that we charge for advertising on VetSurgeon Jobs, I’m interested in only one thing, which is offering both job seekers and recruiters the best service available anywhere."
To enter the competition, veterinary practices need to build a den in the waiting room - with an Adaptil diffuser plugged in nearby - and decorate it to demonstrate the preventative measures clients can carry out at home to help manage their pets’ firework fears.
Then post a picture of the your den/waiting room display on the Ceva Animal Health Facebook page throughout October. Last year's winner is pictured above right.
The top 10 veterinary practice waiting room dens and displays will win a luxury chocolate hamper.
Ceva says it has a comprehensive range of marketing materials for veterinary practices to use in creating their entry, including new waiting room materials.
For further information contact your local Ceva territory manager.
Equine charity The Horse Trust has reported an unprecendented number of enquiries from people wanting to rehome their horses and ponies.
In the three weeks since the financial crisis resulted in repossessions, job losses and cash shortages, more than 500 people made inquiries about having their horses rescued or rehomed.
Susan Lewis, The Horse Trust's marketing manager said: "There is a new generation of horses which is being affected in this way. Animals which have been cherished for 20 years and are now approaching retirement age are becoming too expensive for owners to maintain at livery - especially as the winter season is approaching with its inherent requirements for additional feed, housing and veterinary care."
She added: "Most people are saying: 'Help, what can I do? I adore my horse which has lived with me since I was a tiny child - but now I can barely feed myself let alone my horse. He has always come first - but having lost my home and the field in which I keep him, I just don't know where to turn'.
"It isn't a new story - and we have for many years warned horse owners that they face the issues of cost, care and commitment well into the old age of a horse, which can be up to 30 years. Now, however, it seems that we are facing a more widespread crisis."
Like most other horse charities, the Trust's Home of Rest for horses is full to capacity.
"We simply can't take on any other animals," said Susan. "The charity pound is now stretched to breaking point as people's purses dry up - and with rising feed prices and veterinary charges, it now costs more than £17 a day to keep a horse here.
Environmental household flea spray, Acclaim®, is now licensed to kill house dust mites. A common cause of allergies, house dust mites are present all year around, aggravating conditions such as atopic dermatitis.
Containing S-methoprene and permethrin, Acclaim is a fast-acting, odourless household spray which kills fleas and flea larvae and has 12 months' activity against flea egg development. It also kills ants, cockroaches, ticks and spiders and does not break down in sunlight in the home.
For information on CEVA Animal Health's complete range of household flea treatments, which includes the traditional pesticide sprays Acclaim® and Staykil® and the innovative non-pesticide product Skoosh®, please contact your local CEVA account manager.
The British Veterinary Association has warned that political measures to reduce antimicrobial resistance in Europe and the UK are in danger of becoming kneejerk reactions that are not based on sound science.
The warning comes ahead of European Antibiotic Awareness Day on 18th November.
To mark the Awareness Day BVA President Peter Jones delivered a webinar to over 300 veterinary surgeons titled "Resisting antimicrobials - are we acting responsibly?" hosted by The Webinar Vet and available to view at www.thewebinarvet.com/bva-webinars.
Peter said: "Any measures to tackle antimicrobial resistance must be based on sound science. At the moment we are resisting calls from parliamentarians and pressure groups in Europe and the UK to significantly restrict a veterinary surgeon's right to prescribe and dispense medicines according to clinical and professional judgement.
"These calls do not reflect the available science. We know from the USA and Denmark that banning or restricting the use of certain antimicrobials in certain species has not reduced the incidence of resistance to certain organisms in humans. Banning the veterinary use of antimicrobials could have a severe impact on animal health and welfare without achieving the desired impact in humans.
"Scientists also agree that human prescribing is more likely to have an impact on human medicine than veterinary use; but that responsible prescribing is essential in both sectors.
"We fully support measures to encourage responsible veterinary use, particularly of those classes of antimicrobial that are critical for human use such as fluoroquinolones and 3rd and 4th generation cephalosporins. The BVA responsible use poster states that these medicines should be reserved for clinical conditions that respond poorly to other classes of antimicrobials and where antibiotic sensitivity has been carried out, and that they should not be administered systematically to groups or flocks of animals except in very specific situations.
"Vets in the UK should be aware that the new Code of Professional Conduct states that they must be accountable for choices made on antimicrobial use. This is a very positive step forward in promoting the importance of responsible use."
A groundbreaking 3d printing service offered by Replica 3DM, a spin off of Salisbury NHS District Hospital, has helped referral veterinary orthopaedist Andy Moores in carrying out surgery on dog that won the 2013 Crufts Friends For Life Award.
Haatchi is an Anatolian shepherd dog whose back left leg and tail were amputated after he was tied to a railway line and hit by a train. As a rescue dog, he was adopted by the family of a young boy called Owen Howkins from Basingstoke. Owen has Schwartz‐Jampel syndrome, which causes his muscles to be permanently tense. The two bonded and became inseparable.
Earlier this year Haatchi developed mobility issues with his remaining hindlimb. He was referred to Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists, in Hampshire, where a laterally luxating patella was diagnosed. The patella luxation was a result of a complex deformity of the femur and the tibia. Surgery was needed to enable Haatchi to use his leg better.
Replica 3DM, which normally uses its £70,000 printing equipment to make models of human bones and joints, created a 3d model of Haatchi’s hind leg from hip to paw. Normally the company charges around £200 for a human mandible. So, in order to keep costs down, it suggested a scaled down model which would still make Andy's preoperative planning a lot more straightforward and would help identify the correct surgical approach and likely abnormalities which would be encountered. Andy emailed the CT scans to Matt Sherry from Replica 3DM Ltd who converted them into a 3D model of Haatchi’s leg. Production of the model took six hours.
Andy said: "Having access to a scale 3D model of Haatchi's limb prior to surgery not only allowed us to better understand his deformity but it also allowed us to practice the femoral and tibial corrective osteotomies prior to surgery to be sure they would achieve what we intended."
Replica 3DM Ltd is based at Salisbury District Hospital and provides a service producing 3 dimensional products used in various types of surgery e.g. fractured neck of femur, cranioplasty procedures and jaw fractures. The company says that while of course not necessary in all procedures, visualisation of fractures and deformities prior to surgery can help in pre planning of surgery, reducing costs in time and equipment as well as enabling smaller incisions and less soft tissue intervention, so that patient recovery is enhanced.
For more information, visit www.replica3dm.com or ring Matt Sherry at Replica 3dm on 01722 429185.
It is hoped that the treatment centre, which will use radio-iodine therapy to treat the condition, will be completed within three months at its base near Winchester.
The new centre will be one of only 11 in the UK and the aim is to reduce the waiting time for cats with hyperthyroidism to receive treatment.
Davina Anderson, European and RCVS Recognised Vet Specialist at Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists, said: "We’re delighted to be able to get the go-ahead to build this facility and will start construction work imminently.
"Radio-iodine therapy is the gold standard of treatment for hyperthyroidism in cats, far exceeding the results seen with surgery or oral medication.
"We intend to offer a service tailor-made to each individual cat and their family, with their clinical history and circumstances screened before they travel to us. This is to ensure that treatment with radio-iodine therapy is the correct therapeutic decision.
"The ten other centres in the UK providing this treatment are spread few and far between, and we hope that opening this facility will help to reduce waiting lists for cats awaiting treatment, particularly across southern England."
The centre at Anderson Moores will be run and managed by Boarded Specialists in Internal Medicine, supported by Boarded Cardiologists and qualified nurses.
It will also have the capacity to address other clinical concerns, if necessary. Davina said: "Cats that are presented with hyperthyroidism are older, more fragile and potentially have other concurrent conditions. It’s very rare for a cat under seven years of age to develop hyperthyroidism.
"The treatment of cats with hyperthyroidism involves a single injection of radioactive iodine, followed by isolation in a radiation-proof facility for two weeks.
"Cats usually respond extremely well to treatment, and if the condition is recognised early and treated appropriately, then the outlook for the affected cat is generally very good."
Tatiana graduated from the University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Portugal in 2005.
She worked for more than 10 years in general practice in Portugal, where she dedicated most of her time to dermatology.
She started a three-year residency in 2016 at the at the Hospital Clinic Veterinari of the Fundació Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and became a diplomate of the ECVD in 2020.
Tatiana’s appointment means NDSR will now offer a specialist-led dermatology service five days a week.
Tatiana said: “I am so excited to be a part of such an amazing multi-disciplinary hospital like NDSR.
“It’s not often that you come across hospitals which have all the equipment and services at hand to provide expert diagnosis to animals quickly and efficiently.
“My mission is to build on NDSR’s excellent service to primary care vets and pet owners in the region and hope that we can continue to act as a real extension of their teams.”
Gerry Polton, clinical director at NDSR, said: “Tatiana is clearly a very experienced and respected dermatologist and we are so pleased she has joined NDSR."
For more information, visit www.ndsr.co.uk/home.
Everyone taking part in the survey will receive a fob watch to thank them for their participation.
Sarah is leading the project, which is supported by Ceva Animal Health, alongside Professor Danièlle Gunn-Moore, fellow RCVS Feline Medicine Specialist and Professor in Feline Medicine at The University of Edinburgh.
Suzanne Page MRCVS, Amodip Product Manager at Ceva, said: “There are many barriers to ensuring that all older cats and those with relevant concurrent diseases receive screening for hypertension.
"The survey will help us better understand what those barriers are and how these challenges can be addressed positively to improve animal welfare.
"It is also an issue that requires the whole practice team to come together to deliver a better outcome for their patients.
"We are therefore very keen to find out how all members of the practice team view these important issues and want to encourage all vets and veterinary nurses to share their perspective on the challenges they face in carrying out blood pressure measurements.”
Sarah is emphasising the importance of keeping feline patients calm and relaxed during blood pressure assessments: “The so-called ‘white coat effect’ or situational hypertension, has been observed in both people and animals.
"The survey will also explore the tools and techniques veterinary professionals use to minimise the impact of blood pressure assessments on their patients and will help us to develop some best practice approaches.”
The survey can be found at https://bit.ly/FelineHypertensionSurvey.
LacriProtect is designed to increase the depth of the tear film in the management of dry eye, during anaesthesia, or in case of irritation.
It contains a carbomer-based formula in individual, resealable single-use pipettes, so that each application is hygienic and free from cross-contamination.
This, says Samaxia, is particularly useful in clinical settings.
Lacri+ contains 0.4% cross-linked sodium hyaluronate and urea, and is designed to hydrate, lubricate and protect the ocular surface.
It comes in a multi-dispense bottle with a tip-seal mechanism and multilayer filtration to ensure sterility and give a shelf life of three months after opening.
https://www.samaxia.com
Mike Martin, an RCVS Specialist in Veterinary Cardiology, has launched a new reference library of cardiology echo scans on VetSurgeon.org.
The movies show cardiac scans performed on normal dogs, and on cats and dogs with a variety of different conditions, both acquired and congenital.
Mike said: "I hope these movies will be a really helpful reference for colleagues who have an interest in cardiology. They provide so much more information than can be gleaned from a still image in a textbook, now that online video quality has improved so much."
Mike's gallery is an excellent example of the way in which a social networking website like VetSurgeon allows its members to share information and collaborate. Other referral practitioners interested in having their own gallery in which to share videos or images with colleagues in the profession should contact the site editor, Arlo Guthrie for further details.
Click here to visit Mike Martin's Cardiology Gallery
Janssen Animal Health has highlighted that enforcement of the Veterinary Medicines legislation will require thousands of poultry owners to change the way they worm in the future.
The company says that in the past many poultry keepers with small to medium sized flocks have used Flubenvet® 2.5% Medicated Premixture 240 gram pack. However, going forwards, it will no longer be possible to do so unless individuals (or companies) are approved and registered to mix medicines into feed. The Flubenvet® 1% 60 gram pack for domestic poultry launched in 2008 remains widely available and can still be used without having to register. Each 60 gram pack is suitable to treat around 20 chickens.
Registered retailers are also only able to sell medicated premixtures for mixing into more than 30kg of feed to customers who are specifically registered with the VMD to mix these into animal foods.
Janssen Animal Health vet Nigel Underwood said: "We are advising all poultry keepers of this legislation. We must comply with the law and are simply not able to supply unregistered wholesalers, merchants, pharmacies of vet practices with medicated premixtures unless they are approved.. The new 60 gram domestic poultry pack of Flubenvet® 1% was developed specifically for the smaller poultry owner and is exempt from the legislation. It is available from vets, pharmacists and suitably qualified animal health advisers and poultry owners do not have to be registered to use it."
Novartis Animal Health has announced the launch of a new campaign called Prepare, Predict, Prevent and designed to raise awareness of blowfly strike management in sheep.
The campaign will include new industry research, an expert-led report, and information tailored to farmers, veterinary surgeons and SQPs. The campaign is aimed at improving awareness of blowfly strike management, with a particular focus on prevention.
In the UK, blowfly strike (myiasis) occurs on over 80 per cent of sheep farms2. If untreated, strike can severely affect the welfare of infested sheep, and may result in death. For farmers, poor management of blowfly strike brings economic costs in terms of the loss of animal, production losses and in terms of treatment and control of the disease, which is easily spread.
Furthermore, previous research from the University of Bristol4, which simulated the pattern of parasite growth in different climate-dependent environments, showed that an increase in average temperature of 3 degrees Celsius would be enough to quadruple the incidence of strike in ewes and double the rate in lambs. This is a growing concern, with climate change models for the UK suggesting that over the next 50 years summer temperatures are set to increase by 1.5 degrees Celsius and winter temperatures by 2.5 degrees Celsius5.
Research conducted at the 2013 Animal Health Distributors Association (AHDA) Annual Conference indicated that, in the past five years, many believe the blowfly strike season is lasting longer and beginning earlier in the year, with the majority of early reported cases occurring unexpectedly in March. The findings have prompted a wider survey from Novartis Animal Health, which is urging SQPs, farmers and key opinion leaders nationwide to contribute answers at: www.farmanimalhealth.co.uk/fleecebind-questionnaire.
Katherine Openshaw, Ectoparasiticides Category Manager at Novartis Animal Health, said: "This has always been a serious issue for the sheep industry and elevated temperature is likely to bring about increased levels of blowfly strike and a longer season.
"We recognise the need to evolve attitudes towards parasite control and to provide farmers and prescribers with the knowledge and tools needed to facilitate a better management of blowfly strike. The 'Prepare, Predict, Prevent' campaign is all about simple, yet effective, measures to prevent the occurrence of blowfly strike, which can be enough to ensure farmers are protected from the potentially devastating impacts of flock infestation, offering season peace of mind.
"We have developed a range of materials to aid prescribers in promoting preventative solutions to farmers; these include farmer leaflets, posters and counter displays. We will also be offering training support so prescribers are best equipped to help farmers make informed decisions about preventative blowfly solutions."
References
Since 2014 the RCVS has trialled two different ADR services with the aim of helping resolve complaints between animal owners and veterinary practices that do not meet its threshold for serious professional misconduct.
Since October 2016, this has been in the form of the Veterinary Client Mediation Service (VCMS), administered by Nockolds Solicitors. The VCMS is free for both animal owners and veterinary professionals and cases will only be taken with the consent of both parties.
Eleanor Ferguson, RCVS Registrar, said: "We are very pleased that ADR in the form of mediation has received the unanimous support of RCVS Council members as part of the process for handling veterinary complaints.
"Throughout its trial period the VCMS has very much been complementary to our concerns investigation and disciplinary process. While we are bound by statute to investigate concerns, it has allowed our Professional Conduct Team to 'triage' cases, and to signpost complainants either to the College or the VCMS as appropriate. This has allowed greater time and resources to investigate concerns that could constitute serious professional misconduct.
"We also believe that the VCMS is good for both the public and the profession because it encourages both parties to communicate, find areas of agreement and come to constructive solutions, rather than being an adversarial process that assigns blame and adjudicates remedies."
Jennie Jones, a partner at Nockolds Solicitors which administers the VCMS, said: "The service is here to help veterinary clients and practices find a resolution for complaints that cannot be resolved within the practice. Complaints are referred to the VCMS by clients and practices where the relationship has become strained or communication may be difficult. Importantly the service does not look at who is right or wrong, but focuses on finding an outcome that both parties can live with and bringing an end to the complaint.
"In our experience this has ranged from reassuring clients and helping them to come to terms with what has happened, refunding fees, further explanations, apologies, small goodwill payments, securing procedural changes at the practice and agreement by the client to settle outstanding fees which have been withheld because of the complaint.
"We understand complaints are highly emotional and stressful for both parties, so the VCMS team will not ask parties to speak to one another directly. It is also not about assigning blame but is about moving forward to allow both parties to bring the complaint to a conclusion. When we hear from practices and clients alike that they can now sleep at night, or their relief that a complaint is resolved, I know ADR and the VCMS does help and make a difference."
The College says that during the trial period, 165 of the 870 enquiries received by the VCMS went to mediation. Of these, 129 were successfully mediated with the other 36 remaining unresolved. Of the other enquiries 297 resulted in the animal owner being referred back to the practice so that internal complaints processes could be exhausted first, 93 did not progress because the animal owner did not pursue the complaint, 73 were dealt with through advice, 66 did not progress as the practice declined to engage, 76 were outside the service’s remit and 100 are currently ongoing.
Taking into account the overall feedback received from both animal owners and veterinary professionals and the positive responses on the independence and fairness of the VCMS, Council agreed that Nockolds continue administering the scheme, with a review starting in 18 months’ time to take into account experience and learning as the scheme continues to evolve. During the Council meeting statements of support for the VCMS were also heard from a representative of the Veterinary Defence Society (VDS) and an independent consultant on consumer affairs.
A spokesperson for the VDS said: "The VDS assisted over 150 practices that agreed to participate in the ADR trial and developed a constructive working relationship with the VCMS staff. In the vast majority of cases mediation has resulted in a satisfactory outcome with little or no financial consequences.
"The Society considers this voluntary scheme particularly suited to the many client care complaints that are directed at the RCVS due to public misunderstanding of the College’s role, but the investigation of which creates disproportionate concern to the professionals involved. The independent nature of the VCMS has been a key feature of the trial, although access to experienced, non-judgemental, veterinary advice has provided the necessary professional expertise when necessary."
More information about the VCMS and its processes can be found on the service’s dedicated website: https://www.vetmediation.co.uk/
To contact the service directly call 0345 040 5834 or enquiries@vetmediation.co.uk
A PR headache for Fortnum and Mason yesterday, as PETA employee Abi Izzard changed her name by deed poll to StopFortnumandMasonFoieGrasCruelty.com to try and shame the London store into stopping selling foie gras.
To produce foie gras, birds are force-fed several times per day in a controversial practice known as gavage, which causes their livers to swell to many times their normal size. PETA claims the practice causes the birds' livers to become diseased, that many animals bleed to death after their throats are punctured by force-feeding tubes, that surviving birds live in terror as they await the next assault, and become sick and lethargic.
However, Dr. Daniel Guemene, Director of Research & Senior Scientist at the National Agronomic Institute in France, says his research proves otherwise. In one study for example, stress levels in force-fed birds were guaged through the measurement of corticosterone blood levels. The study concluded that there was no significant increase in stress levels, except after the first instance of force-feeding, which researchers said was most likely due to holding the ducks, rather than the force-feeding. In addition, he claims to have demonstrated that ducks show no avoidance behaviour to the force-feeder or force-feeding, as would be expected if they feared these things.
The actor Roger Moore is a supporter of this girl's campaign. He said: "Many people know me as James Bond or 007, but I never went so far as officially changing my name from Roger Moore. I hope the young lady now known as StopFortnumAndMasonFoieGrasCruelty.com royally shames this store".
The Veterinary Marketing Association has 10 tickets available for its annual debate being held at the House of Lords on Tuesday October 12th, this year entitled: Internet Pharmacies - Opportunity or Threat?
The debate will be chaired by Professor Sandy Trees, and the panel will comprise:
The debate kicks off at 10:30am, and is followed by lunch at 12:30pm on the famous terrace, overlooking the Thames.
VetSurgeon members may buy tickets at the lower VMA member price of £120 + VAT, which includes the champagne reception and three course lunch with wine.
Click here for more information.
A research project funded by equine charity The Horse Trust has found that lameness is the most common reason for euthanasing a geriatric horse.
According to the charity, this research is the first in the UK to provide data on the causes of death in geriatric horses. Although post-mortem studies have provided some data regarding causes of death, "old age" was previously reported as a common reason for the euthanasia of adult horses.
The research was carried out by Joanne Ireland at the University of Liverpool and led by Dr Gina Pinchbeck. Ireland surveyed horse owners living in the North-West and Midlands areas of England and North Wales who have a horse aged 15 years or older. 918 owners of geriatric horses were followed in a cohort study and 118 mortalities were reported during the 18 month follow-up period, of which 111 were euthanased.
The researchers found that 24% of horses were euthanased due to lameness; an additional 12% were euthanased due to laminitis - a common cause of lameness. After lameness, colic was the next most common cause of euthanasia, with 21% of owners citing this as the main reason.
In an earlier stage of the project, the researchers had found that half the geriatric horses surveyed suffered from lameness, but only 24% of owners reported the problem.
Dr Pinchbeck said: "Although lameness is common in older horses, this is the first study to quantify its contribution to their mortality.
"Owners are often missing the early signs of lameness in their horse, which means the condition isn't being managed and may deteriorate faster."
Dr Pinchbeck said it would be useful to carry out further research into lameness in geriatric horses to find out the main causes of lameness and how these may be prevented or treated.
The research team also found that half of the horses euthanased were suffering from concurrent health problems and these influenced the owner's decision to euthanase in 43% of cases. The most frequently reported additional health problems were musculoskeletal problems, such as arthritis.
The mortality rate among the horses surveyed was 11 per 100 horse-years at risk, meaning that if 100 geriatric horses were followed for a year, an average of 11 would die. The mortality rate for horses over 30 years of age was over five times the rate than in horses aged 15 - 19 years.
Jeanette Allen, Chief Executive of The Horse Trust, said the data provided by this research is likely to provide useful information for both horse owners and vets to enable them to improve the welfare of older horses. She said: "As there are a significant number of geriatric horses in the UK, it is vital that we understand more about the health problems that affect them. We hope that more owners of older horses will give their horse an annual health-check to enable the horse to have a longer, healthier life."
The research was published in the September 2011 issue of Preventive Veterinary Medicine.
Boehringer Ingelheim is offering a free stainless steel bolus applicators, worth £42.60/€ 59.39 (plus VAT), with the first 1,000 Bovikalc multipacks sold after 1st March in the UK and Eire.
According to the company, milk fever is recognised as the most common mineral deficiency affecting transition cows; one that has a significant impact on the overall health of affected animals, even those showing no outward symptoms. This offer aims to help combat this costly but preventable disease.
The offer is open to farmers, vets and suppliers of Bovikalc and one free applicator will be provided for each Bovikalc multipack - 6 x 4 boluses.
Farmers are required to apply for the free applicators through their veterinary surgeon or Bovikalc supplier.
For further information, including the terms and conditions of the offer, visit www.bovikalc.co.uk. Alternatively, contact your regional cattle specialist or call Boehringer on 01344 746959.
The Bella Moss Foundation (BMF) and Oncore Online Learning have announced the launch of a 2 week online training course developed to help veterinary professionals implement rigorous, tailored infection controls in practice.
Practical Infection Control is delivered online as a fully tutored course and students will have access to Oncore's virtual learning environment which will host a lecture, learning materials and discussion forums.
Course materials and ongoing tutor support and assessment will be provided by VN lecturer and BMF advisor Louise O'Dwyer. As part of the course, students will be able to create and implement their own tailored infection control standard operating procedures for their practice, which will be evaluated by Louise.
Course registration is now open, and as soon as a minimum of eight students are booked, the first two week course will go live. Practical Infection Control costs £129 and counts for six hours of documented CPD. A percentage of the proceeds will be donated to BMF, to help the charity continue to fund veterinary education and support for pet owners seeking advice on antimicrobial resistant infections.
Louise O’Dwyer said: "This will be a highly interactive course which will be tailored to the individual delegate, and therefore the individual practices. "It will have a different learning format to many other CPD courses, being interactive and very much driven by delegate feedback, meaning those undertaking the course can gain the specific information they need on aspects such as prevention of surgical site infections, cleaning and disinfection, surgical patient preparation and hand hygiene." Jill Macdonald, RVN and founder of ONCORE Online Learning, said: "Infection control is a key component of any practice routine, but in my experience having clear and up-to-date practice guidelines and protocols – that everyone actually uses – can sometimes be overlooked.
"This module, especially timely given new official focus on infection safeguards in the PSS, will empower nurses and other staff to implement the most recent and robust infection control methods, whatever their place of work, whether it be a small local practice or a large veterinary hospital."
To register for Practical Infection Control or find out more about the range of courses offered by ONCORE, visit www.oncoreepd.co.uk or contact info@oncoreepd.co.uk or 07717 335484 To find out more about BMF, visit: www.thebellamossfoundation.com
The College says it will be promoting its Find a Vet search tool and its new Practice Standards Scheme (PSS) at the event, which runs from Thursday 4 to Sunday 7 August. It will also be giving career advice for prospective veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses.
The College’s Find a Vet search tool was relaunched earlier this year, allowing users to search for a veterinary surgeon, veterinary nurse or veterinary practice all in one place. The tool also includes new features such as displaying a practice’s visiting information (including opening hours and car parking); enabling users to ‘get directions’ via Google Maps; advertising a practice’s PSS accreditations and awards; and returning individual profile pages for veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses.
To promote the free search tool the College will be encouraging visitors to take part in its Find a Vet dice game, as well as hosting a random draw photo competition which will encourage members of the public to find and photograph one of our veterinary surgeons or veterinary nurses who will be lost in the grounds of Blenheim Palace.
Another of the College’s promotional focuses is the new PSS. The new PSS is designed to provide a greater focus on how practices use their resources to create a positive outcome for patients and clients, and allows for practices to distinguish the areas in which they excel through its awards system. The College says it is using BBC Countryfile Live to raise the profile of PSS and make animal owners more aware of the various available accreditation levels.
Ahead of the event, the RCVS is running social media competitions to give away 15 free pairs of tickets: on Facebook (/TheRCVS); Twitter (@RCVS_UK); and its new Instagram account (@thercvs). The competitions ends Friday 29 July, with winners being announced that day at 5pm. Tickets will allow entry on Thursday 4, Friday 5, and Sunday 7 August.
The collection draws together a selection of materials, including chapters from BSAVA Manuals, articles from Companion, webinars and Congress lectures.
The collection is divided into four areas: general information, client communication, client support and practitioner support. It includes things like:
Julian Hoad, Chair of the BSAVA Publications Committee said: “Death and taxes are the only two certainties of life, according to Benjamin Franklin! Our pets don’t have the worry of taxation but managing the end of life for them is something that all owners must face. It is probably the most challenging part of our veterinary work also – managing the emotional, sometimes highly charged, aspect of the situation, whilst maintaining an objective focus on the patient.
"This new collection provides a handy resource for this important area of veterinary practice. The collection will enable the recent graduate to gain confidence in dealing with these cases; tips for improvement that even the more experienced clinician will find useful are also included.”
The collection can be accessed via the BSAVA Library https://www.bsavalibrary.com/content/end-of-life---introduction at a cost of £20.00 for BSAVA members or £45.00 for non-members.
The SPVS Salary Survey provides a benchmark of remuneration levels in the profession, including basic earnings, bonuses, dividends, overtime, accommodation, car allowances and pensions.
The main survey findings will be published in a report which will be shared with anyone who takes part and gives their email address at the end of the survey.
SPVS members will be given the full results with additional commentary and analysis.
The Association says all responses are treated as strictly anonymous and totally confidential, and thanks everyone in advance who decides to take part.
To take part, visit: https://spvs.org.uk/salary-survey-2021.
If you have any questions about the survey, email office@spvs.org.uk.